The immediate legal and commercial consequence of this shift is that “Human Trafficking Camp” dropped to second place. Despite the loss of the top slot, the film directed by Toni Duong Bao Anh recorded a significant domestic milestone, with total revenue reaching approximately 484 billion VND. This total surpasses the nearly 483 billion VND earned by “Flip Face 7: One Wish,” securing “Human Trafficking Camp” the third-highest position on the all-time list of highest-grossing Vietnamese films, behind “Red Rain” and “Mai.”
“Karaoke Murder” achieved its lead through superior screening volume rather than per-screening capacity. Over the weekend, the film was scheduled for nearly 9,000 screenings, selling over 213,000 tickets. In comparison, “Human Trafficking Camp” operated with nearly 5,200 screenings and sold over 108,000 tickets. On average, each “Karaoke Murder” screening attracted about 24 viewers, slightly higher than the 21 viewers per screening for “Human Trafficking Camp.” The new film’s total revenue now exceeds 31 billion VND, including pre-release screenings that began on October 21.
The procedural background of this box office race involves a strategic release adjustment. “Karaoke Murder,” starring Van Dung, Dai Nghia, and Doan Thien An, was originally scheduled for early October but was postponed to October 30. Director Hoang Le stated that the delay was intended to avoid direct competition with “Human Trafficking Camp” and to allow for final editing refinements. However, this new release date places the film in direct competition with another title, “Sister Sister 3,” scheduled for the same day. The film’s plot centers on a group of neighbors at a secluded mountain resort where a karaoke enthusiast is murdered, turning the group into suspects in a detective-comedy narrative.
Meanwhile, the momentum behind “Human Trafficking Camp” has slowed. While it requires approximately 16 billion VND more to reach the 500 billion VND mark, its weekly earnings have declined as screening slots shrink. Other films in the market, including the Thai horror film “The Organ Eater 4: Tiger Spirit” and director Duc Nguyen’s “Near Perfect Murder,” have seen modest or declining revenues, failing to challenge the top two Vietnamese films. The next major competitive event will be the official release of “Karaoke Murder” on October 30, where it will face direct head-to-head competition with “Sister Sister 3.”
